The present disclosure relates to fluid filters, and in particular to oil filter assemblies for use in a vehicle. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to engine sealing gaskets included in oil filter assemblies.
Oil filters are used to clean lubricating oil passed through stationary or vehicle-mounted internal combustion engines. Such oil filters function during engine operation to extract carbon deposits that result from burning of fuel, debris resulting from engine wear, rust from metal engine components, and other solid contaminants from such lubricating oil. Engine makers prescribe periodic replacement of engine oil filters. Other filters are used to filter fuel, coolant, and hydraulic fluids
Sealing gaskets are used to establish sealed connections between engine blocks and oil filters mounted on engine blocks. These sealed connections block leakage of oil to the surroundings as oil flows back and forth between the engine block and an oil filter mounted on the engine block.
According to the present disclosure, a fluid filter assembly comprises a filter housing, a filter module located in a filter chamber provided in the filter housing, and a filter retainer coupled to the filter housing to retain the filter module in the filter retainer. A sealing ring is anchored to the filter retainer so that the sealing ring is not separated easily from the filter retainer during installation of the oil filter assembly in a vehicle.
In an illustrative embodiment, the filter retainer includes a ring mount formed to include an annular channel and a series of connector apertures opening into the annular channel. The sealing ring includes an upwardly facing annular sealing strip arranged on one side of the filter retainer to face upwardly toward the filter module and a downwardly facing annular sealing strip arranged on an opposite side of the filter retainer to face downwardly away from the filter module. The sealing ring further includes a connector located in the annular channel and arranged to extend through each connector aperture to interconnect the upwardly and downwardly facing annular sealing strips so as to anchor the sealing ring to the ring mount of the filter retainer.
In an illustrative process, a plastics material is injected into a sealing ring mold cavity containing the filter retainer to overmold the filter retainer with the plastics material to produce a sealing ring anchored to the filter retainer. Portions of the molded sealing ring extend through a channel and apertures formed in the filter retainer during the overmolding process to anchor the sealing ring to the filter retainer. Such anchoring makes it less likely that the sealing ring will separate from the filter retainer during handling and installation of the fluid filter assembly at a vehicle assembly plant.
Additional features of the present disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the present disclosure as presently perceived.